In 2024, we began redeveloping The Opposite House in Beijing into a retail landmark. During the process, we prioritised the protective removal of materials to prevent damage to valuable resources and maximise opportunities for reuse and recycling in other parts of our portfolio. The demolition work was completed in early 2025, and over 95% of materials were diverted from landfill through reuse and recycling.

All collected materials were stored in a warehouse and divided into sections – bathrooms, lighting, furniture, doors and windows, and renovation materials. Moisture prevention measures were employed and all materials were clearly labelled for easy identification.

Some of the materials were put into use in 2025 at Swire Properties’ VIP lounge for Art Basel Hong Kong, called “Intersection”. The lounge was made almost exclusively out of recycled materials, with a significant amount of materials repurposed from The Opposite House. These included 845 m of reclaimed wooden wall panels, 160 sqm of stainless steel panels that used to be the swimming pool floor, and a number of wood block benches and seats. After the conclusion of the show, all key materials were kept for reuse at future events.

A portion of the demolished materials will also be repurposed in retail spaces at Taikoo Li Sanlitun and Taikoo Place Beijing for construction and decorations. The Projects team at Taikoo Li Sanlitun also prioritised incorporating materials that closely resemble The Opposite House. Demounted façade panels were modified into loose furniture, recovered timber from the project was used as wall finishes in public areas, and decorative lights were turned into free standing lamps. Taikoo Place Beijing is also repurposing façade panels, timber, spotlights, and white and black stone wall panels in the project.

In new office buildings, the conventional handover condition often includes a suspended ceiling system, due to a combination of acoustic, aesthetic and regulatory reasons. Often, the materials in these suspended ceilings, including tiles and grids, end up as construction waste when tenants customise their own offices.

To avoid this abortive work and the associated disposal of like-new materials, we initiated a first-of-its-kind “open ceiling” solution for the handover of new office premises in Taikoo Place Beijing and Lujiazui Taikoo Yuan. This practice reduces waste, conserves materials and lowers the embodied carbon footprint associated with producing these materials.

An open ceiling offers additional advantages in terms of layout and interior design. By removing suspended ceilings, the interior clear height is increased, improving air circulation. The design also delivers a more modern, spacious aesthetic that appeals to contemporary workplace trends. Tenants can also enjoy greater flexibility in terms of layout design and enable quicker, cleaner fit-outs. We also removed fixed floor boxes from the office handover process, as they often become redundant when tenants design their new workspaces. This arrangement enables greater office layout design flexibility and further reduces waste.

In June, PACIFIC PLACE APARTMENTS renovated three apartment units, allowing us to responsibly rehome high-quality used furniture. In partnership with an NGO, we repurposed over 90 furniture items, including coffee tables, cabinets, bed frames and mattresses, and art work. These items were redistributed to five other organisations via our partner, with additional shipments donated internationally. This initiative highlights that early engagement with recycling and reuse partners allows furniture items to be repurposed and diverted from landfill.

When the Swire Hotels’ Central Support Office moved to Taikoo Place, sustainability was prioritised from the earliest planning stages to the final handover. First, we organised a “Clean-Up Hour and Second-Hand Items Bazaar” event to encourage colleagues to donate unwanted items instead of discarding them. Many items were taken by workmates or passed on to local charities. We collected over 250 items – 70% were recycled, 20% donated to charity and only 10% discarded.

We also managed to divert the majority of moving-related materials from landfill by engaging a moving company that provided reusable plastic boxes instead of single-use cardboard cartons, and prioritising the reuse of existing furniture, minimising the need for new purchases. In the end, 80% of the existing furniture was reused.